Shimenawa at Sea

Cape Manazuru, near Odawara. Rocky and incredibly windy, it's hardly the kind of beach you can play around in, but it's a beautiful sight.

Zoom in closer and you can see a rope tied between the length of the largest rocks. Called a shimenawa (enclosing rope), it's a Shinto practice that indicates a sacred space. (You may immediately associate shimenawa with shrines.) In this case, the shimenawa is used to pray for safety at sea and a good catch.

There were some small sea urchins in the water, and the unfortunate sight of a bottlecap.